After smashing records last year with attendance figures increasing an astonishing 28 per cent to 364,775 and generating $22.61 million in direct and incremental spending in Queensland, the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers will this year bloom across all of September, with Toowoomba Region Mayor Paul Antonio launching the 2023 program at long-time Exhibition Garden host, Val Peachey’s garden.
The Exhibition Garden program has raised over $800,000 for charities and will run this year from Friday 15 to Sunday 24 September.
“Our internationally famed Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers will take over September as a joyous 30 days of petals, flavours, sounds and sights, headlined by 190,000 blooms which are being planted now by our Gardens Team,” Mayor Paul Antonio said.
The superstars of the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers are the city’s parks, gardens and public spaces, all meticulously planted in designs that are seen only when in bloom.
The event that stops the city is the famous Floral Parade, which will be held on Saturday 16 September, again at the earlier time of 10am, with the theme Create a Buzz! The popular Festival of Food & Wine will be held from 8 to 10 September in Queens Park, a three day celebration of the best in regional produce and Australian music.
The music line-up will be announced on June 1 and fans can expect some of Australia’s most popular bands and musicians and local sound-makers.
This year there are more Twilight Tours of Laurel Bank Park, when ticket holders see and hear from experts about the darker side of plant life in a one-hour nocturnal tour, meet shady characters like English and Spanish oaks, Gingko trees and Japanese maples, track down exotic and rare species and see what goes on behind the scenes to create a picture-perfect park.
Tours will be held every Wednesday to Saturday.
After the success of the inaugural Teddy Bear’s Picnic at Picnic Point, it’s happening again on Saturday 23 September from 8.30am to 11.30am and activities include, fairy bread making, face painting, food stalls and of course a Teddy Bear Parade, this is one for the young, and the young at heart! In the Botanic Gardens at Queens Park the ever-popular Ferris Wheel program has been extended to run 15 to 30 September.
Flavour lovers are in for a feast this year.
The regional food trail #trEATS (Toowoomba Region EATS) returns, with cafés, restaurants and bars offering a signature springtime dish inspired by the event.
The Talking Pubs Tours will feature four character-filled Toowoomba pubs, while taking in the city’s hidden laneways, home to some fantastic street art.
Watch out for famed local brewer 4 Brothers Brewing’s signature floral beer for the event, and Toowoomba Region’s first artisan distillery in Pechey Distilling Co. which works botanical magic with gin and vodka.
Cinema Under the Stars returns on Saturday 30 September, along with the fabulous Hanging Baskets at Cobb+Co Museum, Sideshow Alley in Queens Park from 15 to 17 September, the city-wide Parkland Entertainment program featuring local musicians and the hugely popular Petals and Pups program.
There are 53 community events and tours, as well as the Chronicle Garden Competition, and for three nights from 15 to 17 September the skies over Toowoomba will light up with breathtaking firework displays!
Chair of the Toowoomba Regional Council Environment and Community Services Committee Cr James O’Shea said the continued expansion of the 74 years-old event proved to have extraordinary financial and social benefits for the community.
“Once again, our incredible event will take place over 30 days, to allow for greater visitation, business connections and community engagement and taking centre stage, as they should, will be flowers and local flavours, as the event continues to bloom into a truly region-wide experience for both locals and visitors,” he said.
This article appeared in On Our Selection News, 4 May 2023.
